Department of Architectural Technology and Interior Design
School of Architecture
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Creative Portfolio requirements: Student selection
INTERIOR DESIGN
Personal Creative portfolio (A3 flip file format)
Students are required to present a personal portfolio of creative work during the interview
which forms part of the selection process. This could include work produced in Visual Art,
Design or EGD at school or any drawings, sketches, paintings, photos of three-dimensional
work (sculpture or models) and also technical drawings or any other creative work.

Design a cover for the portfolio that will give a reflection of your personality. Your
name & surname must form part of this design.
In addition, the following 6 points must be completed and included into the portfolio: (A3 flip
file format)
1. Design exercise: A pot plant with personality
The aim of the brief is to test your creative imagination and abstract associations. It also test
your practical thought process.
In a world threatened by Global warming, people are starting to re-explore nature and the
importance of plants in our daily lives.
Choose 3 different and unique indigenous plants and design a pot/holder for each one of
them that will clearly express the character of each plant. Indicate in which context this
design will be used – an office, a shopping mall, somewhere at home, inside, outside, etc.
Be specific and think creatively.
Important aspects to consider:

Include pictures of the chosen plants and explain briefly why you have chosen
those specific plants

The pots or plant holders may NOT stand on a table or on the floor

One of the designed pots/holders must have the ability to be fixed by at least
two different methods within the chosen context (for example be able to be
suspended or wall mounted)

Think of the functional needs of the specific species of plant and incorporate it
into the design

Aesthetics should be considered in terms of material choices – indicate the
materials used.
Support your design by using drawings to communicate the design project and how it works.
Include process drawings and mind maps to demonstrate the development of ideas.
Illustrate with diagrammatical sketches the sequence of adjusting the one pot/holder from
one position to the next. Connection details must be clear. Text cannot be used to describe
the process.
Include three dimensional colour drawings to illustrate the 3 final designs of the pots/holders
in each one’s specific context.
2. Colour perspective
The aim of this exercise is to test your drawing skills as well as your ability to render in
colour.
Draw a full colour perspective of an interior you admire. Any medium can be used, also
include light and shade in the drawing.
3. Essay
The aim of this exercise is to test your creative writing and English language skills, as well as
your knowledge of the profession.
Write 2 descriptive paragraphs to indicate the difference between Interior Design and
Interior Decorating, followed by 2 poems consisting of 6 lines each to creatively emphasize
the difference between the two.
In conclusion, write a paragraph as motivation why you think you will make a great interior
designer.
4. Affidavit
The creative portfolio must be entirely the student’s OWN work, and is to include a signed
affidavit to that effect.
5. Grade 12 results
A copy of your Grade 12 results of the 1st three terms, or your final Grade 12 certificate, must
accompany the portfolio.
6. Shadow an Interior designer
You will be required to shadow a professional Interior Designer for one day to familiarise
yourself with the working of an Interior Design Practice. A formal letter from the Interior
designer stating that you did shadow him/her for the day must be included in the portfolio.
Applicants, who do not comply with the admission requirement of 30 APS points, but have a
convincing portfolio of creative work, will be required to do an assessment which must be
completed before the selection interview (at least 2 weeks before the interview). The tests
include Arithmetic and English Reading Comprehension. Please contact the Centre for
Access Assessment & Research (CAAR) on 041 5042918 for more information and to make
arrangements for the assessment.
Qualifying applicants will be interviewed and must complete a drawing exercise on the day of
the interview. Please bring drawing equipment with.